Interview: Writer Victor Gischler (Sally of the Wasteland - Titan Comics)

Gef Fox (Wag the Fox) was kind enough to interview Victor Gischler, writer of Sally Of The Wasteland (Titan Comics), for the flock! Check out Gef's 4 1/2 sheep review of Sally of the Wasteland #1-5. 
Victor has also written such comic book titles as X-Men, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth, The Punisher, Conan, and The Shadow. 

Gef: What was the impetus behind Sally of the Wasteland? It felt like it harkened back to some of those great post-apocalyptic films of the 70s, so was there any kind of inspiration from that era?
Victor: Yes, I think so. And the 80’s. It’s a whole stew of influences from Mad Max to Barbarella. I also love the idea of “atomic monsters.” Purely B-movie science which I think works well in an over-the-top, irreverent book like this.

Gef: What was it about this series, if anything, that you approached differently from the previous titles?
Victor: Well, the obvious thing is that it’s creator-owned and for mature readers. Or at least mature readers who still embrace their inner immaturity. So I guess I like the fact we can throw a lot of rules out the window. I don’t hold anything back, or if I do it’s because of a decision I’ve made not because I have to play it safe for a mainstream audience. There’s nothing wrong with a mainstream audience, but sometimes it’s nice to cut loose. I like the opportunity to follow my instinct and damn the torpedoes.

Gef: Tazio Bettin did one heck of a job bringing Sally and her motley crew to life. How did this collaboration come about?Victor: I was at the SugarPulp Festival in Padova, Italy one year, and Tazio showed up with some illustrations he’d drawn based on scenes from my post-apocalypse novel GO GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE. They were great drawings. So when it came time to find an artist, I already knew he had talent, appreciated my writing, and was familiar with the genre. I was very lucky to connect with him, and his art just keeps getting better and better.

Gef: What do you consider to be the saving grace of apocalyptic fiction?
Victor: This isn’t a “saving grace” but it’s something that’s always attracted me about the post-apocalyptic genre, and that the fact that we’re looking at the ruined version of something very familiar – a city, a society, a civilization. There’s something very compelling and morbidly fascinating about that brand of destruction and ruin.

Gef: Fantasy football time: How would Sally fare in a cross-over issue with another female comic book character, and who might be on your wish list to see her team up with or go toe-to-toe with?
Victor: Awesome. Take note comic book publishers! This is your next best-seller.

I’ve heard people say Sally has a slight Harley Quinn vibe, so that might be cool. I’m also a fan of Tim Seeley’s Cassie Hack. Let’s toss Lady Deadpool into the mix too.

Gef: What's the worst piece of writing advice you ever received? Or what piece of writing advice do you wish would just go away?
Victor: This notion that you have to sit on broken glass while writing.

Wait … that’s not writing advice? Damn it, who told me that?!

Gef: What kind of guilty pleasures do you have when it comes to books or movies or whatnot, assuming a writer capable of concocting Sally of the Wasteland is even capable of guilt?
Victor: Yeah, I don’t do guilt. Short of child porn or something like that, people should read whatever the hell they want and just own it. But, hey, I’ll take the question in a different direction. I LOVE watching golf on TV. My fave sport. So many people think it’s so boring that I guess I’m supposed to be embarrassed to admit it. I’m not.

Gef: What projects are you cooking up that folks can expect in the near future, and how can folks keep up with your shenanigans?
Victor: I wrote an epic fantasy novel called INK MAGE and the sequel THE TATTOOED DUCHESS will but published in a couple months. BUT … you won’t know what’s going on in book 2 unless you read book 1 first, so every man, woman and child reading this needs to order INK MAGE now.

Go ahead … I’ll wait.

I’m also teaming again with Titan Comics for a creator-owned book called TERMINAL TOWN and Titan Books is publishing an APPALLING (but fun and pulpy) novel called GESTAPO MARS.

Sally Of The Wasteland #1

Writer: Victor Gischler

Artist: Tazio Bettin

Letterer: Jon Chapple

Series: Sally Of The Wasteland

Titan Comics

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction

Miniseries

Extent32pp

FormatSoftcover

Age:15+
Saving the remains of civilisation plays second best to keeping her sweetheart safe as our smart and sexy princess of the wild frontier runs a gauntlet of gigantic genetic freaks and roving gangs of blood-hungry barbarians!

The ever-so-cute but ever-so-slightly-insane Sally is the wayward daughter of writer Victor Gischler (X-Men, Angel & Faith, Noir) and artistic up-and-comer Tazio Bettin. This first issue in a fantastic new series proves Armageddon can be fun!

About the Author:
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Victor Gischler is the author of such novels as GUN MONKEYS, SHOTGUN OPERA, GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE, THE DEPUTY and others. His work has been optioned for film and translated into numerous languages. He's also written such comic book titles as X-Men, Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth, The Punisher, Conan, and The Shadow. He is a world traveler, grad school survivor and BBQ aficionado.